One does not ordinarily associate yakuza as the type of people espousing healthy lifestyles leading to longevity. Especially for those on the bottom rung, hours are long and the tasks arduous. And internecine battles with rival syndicates have been known to reduce one's lifespan considerably.
So readers of Asahi Geino (Oct 4) must have been skeptical to see an article boasting, "First time made public: The yakuza-style health regimen."
Tomoyuki Ueno, author of a book titled "Yakuza Life" (Futabasha, 2016) is quoted as saying, "Some younger gang members conceal their tattoos and go to work out at gyms. But now most gang offices keep dumbbells and other equipment on hand. I've seen gang members over age 50 who can bench press over 130 kilograms."
Also according to Ueno, gangsters sentenced to prison terms often emerge after 20 years "looking almost as good as when they went in," thanks to an "anti-aging regimen" composed of complete abstention from alcohol, regular exercise and a diet that includes genmai (brown rice) -- once, along with rice with barley reviled by penitents as kusai meshi (stinking rice) but now much in vogue.
An unnamed journalist who covers underground criminal syndicates tells the magazine that at the time they are discharged from prison yakuza tend to be on the lean side.
"In general, top gang leaders don't like to be photographed when they are skinny," said the aforementioned journalist. "But on the other hand if their photos don't appear frequently they worry rumors will start circulating about their health, so they usually don't refuse to be photographed."
Some bosses are known to be real gourmands.
"Among rank-and-file gang members are those trained as cooks, so they can prepare the kind of dishes the boss likes," the source adds. "One boss has a reputation for wanting fresh items right when they come into season, irrespective of price. Once I was surprised to hear about a boss who was disappointed with the flavor of eggplants being served at a ryotei (geisha house), so the proprietor telephoned a greengrocer late at night and asked him to rush over better ones."
The article cites a saying that if you eat the freshest vegetables, you can prolong your life by 75 days. But to keep such food on the table takes money and connections.
The combination of a rich diet and regular exercise tends to give many yakuza a characteristic shape of a muscular upper body and pectorals, while also having protruding stomachs.
"Even if they try to control their intake, when they are summoned to dine with the boss, they have to eat the same thing he does," the source notes. "In many cases that can even involve three or more meals a day. So it's hard for them to maintain a svelte physique."
Asahi Geino points out that in Japan's super-aging society, average male life expectancy has risen for the previous six straight years, to the current 80.98 years. And the average age of yakuza is rising along with it.
"When the bosses become important men, they don't have to do nasty things any more. As a saying goes, 'Just by sitting silently the money rolls in.' So they desire to live longer, and don't feel inclined to retire," said the journalist. "In the present yakuza world, the 'metabolism' among top leaders (i.e., turnover) isn't progressing, and I suppose the elder bosses will increasingly make their presence felt."
If you peep into the lifestyles of yakuza, who used to be perceived mostly as rough-and-tumble survivors, these days you're as likely as not to find healthy and long-lived examples lurking in the wings, Asahi Geino concludes.
© Japan Today
8 Comments
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talaraedokko
Hey, they’re people - God’s children (?) too.
NCIS Reruns
Surely full body tattoos and severing digits can't be conducive to health. Hepatitis used to be common as well. While it's several decades old, a doctor named Junichi Saga wrote "Confessions of a Yakuza," a good read available in English translation.
ozziedesigner
Yaks...you mean the J Govt ?
Aly Rustom
Brilliant!!!
BackpackingNepal
They sure are more healthier than Salarymen.
Gambling, Travelling, Sex, Shouting, Love, Style etc. All with less stress than what most Salarymen does at high level.
vinarius@pm.catv.ne.jp
Yakuza are also people. They have heart too. Some non-yakuza, people are destroying the life of good normal people with the mask of human face but with bad intentions.
commanteer
I have noticed that a lot of guys come out of prison looking much better than when they went in. Especially those who drank a lot or lived unhealthy lifestyles before their arrest.